Some kids have imaginary friends, others don’t. Either way is OK. Peeno Ceeno (pronounced pee-no, see-no) was my imaginary friend. She lived in the wooded wetland behind my house. I was expecting my boys to have imaginary friends too. But so far, neither five-year old Bubba nor three-year old Peter ...

My 5-year-old son earns his first “yellow light” for… giving the finger I was shocked. Bubba’s kindergarten class operates on a stoplight system for monitoring behavior. A green light is good. A yellow light is a warning. A red light is major infraction that includes a note home from the ...

I’m not a good soccer player, but I’m a heck of a lot better than my 5-year-old son. The same goes for most backyard games as well as board games, video games and nearly all other competitions. I generally don’t run up the score, but I don’t lie down either. ...

Are tan kids a sign of parental neglect with sunscreen? Sunscreen use has become a ritual among most parents. So much so that suntanned toddlers can create quite a stir at the public pool, splash pad or backyard sprinkler party. As a parent of two Coppertone kids, I’m often subject ...

Romance for four-year-old classmates offers both cute and awkward moments Bubba has a “girlfriend.” My four-year-old son has fallen for an adorable gal with curly hair and a toothless smile. Her name is Ava, and she likewise considers Bubba her “boyfriend.” The preschool classmates have been romantically linked (in name ...

Romance for four-year-old classmates offers both cute and awkward moments Bubba has a “girlfriend.” My four-year-old son has fallen for an adorable gal with curly hair and a toothless smile. Her name is Ava, and she likewise considers Bubba her “boyfriend.” The preschool classmates have been romantically linked (in name ...

CHICAGO – A highly touted prospect debuted last month in the Kennedy Park T-ball League. Howard “Bubba” Ludwig’s first appearance came at the plate. The four-year-old phenom hit third in the order and didn’t disappoint. On first swing, Ludwig (my son) sent the ball into the gap between first and ...

Oft-distributed guideline for 1950s housewives re-written for at-home dads If you’re a parent, there’s a good chance you’ve been emailed or passed along a copy of “The good wife’s guide.” The list is supposedly plucked from an issue of Housekeeping Monthly, dated May 13, 1955. There’s some debate about the ...

Jeff Foxworthy’s shtick as it’s applied to stay-at-home dads Jeff Foxworthy’s one-liners aren’t sophisticated or thought-provoking comedy. But his signature you-might-be-a-redneck jokes are often funny. I decided to try my hand at Foxworthy’s shtick. He’s got the redneck market cornered. Thus, I chose to poke fun at stay-at-home dads (though ...

Potty training rookie reminds dad that diapers make certain situations simpler I’ve been so focused on potty training my three-year-old son that I forgot the many ways diapers make life easier. Peter’s made serious progress on the potty. He spends all of his waking hours in underwear, switching back to ...